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Casting My Vote: 2010 D-League Draft in Review (Election Day Edition)

Somewhere between The Decision and Decision 2010, a number of smaller but still important decisions were made during the 2010 NBA Development League Draft.

It’s Election Day. And regardless of whether you voted Democrat, Republican, somewhere in between or (sigh) even not at all, there’s plenty of room here for all to join in the draft review debate. As for me, I’m casting several votes today, for and against the various draft classes from yesterday’s selections. I’ll give my opinion on all 16 teams, deciding which teams made selections worthy of election and which teams need to think about their concession speeches as well as a few draft classes that are still too close to call. I’ll even throw in a few pundit-like comments for good measure.

If you’re looking for additional D-League Draft info in a more standard format, D-League writer Matthew Brennan has you covered with his 2010 D-League Draft review. And to prevent you from getting caught up in or confused by the political rhetoric, here’s a helpful guide on what my election-themed ratings mean in regards to my opinion of a team’s draft success.

Politics affect draft picks as well. Fazekas may not have been the definitive best player in the draft, but he was in the running, which made him the people’s choice (and the right choice) in Reno. Fazekas starred for Nevads in college. Second-round selection, forward Takais Brown, should provide some scoring punch as well and fit in well with a team that needed some help up front heading into the draft.

New Mexico Thunderbirds: Too Close to Call

Name

Position

Height

Weight

College

Alan Anderson

G/F

6’6”

220

Michigan State

Anthony Richardson

F

6’8”

225

Florida State

Josh Bostic

G/F

6’5”

230

Findlay

Zach Atkinson

C

6’9”

220

Cal Irvine

Kashif Watson

G

6’3”

185

Idaho

Dominque Coleman

G

6’3”

195

Colorado

Tyler Hughes

C

6’11”

240

Kansas State

Alex Zampier

G

6’3”

205

Yale

Both Anderson and Richardson were players I forecast in the first round, but I was surprised to see the Thunderbirds pass over a point guard prospect like Scottie Reynolds in what is typically a guard-dominated league. Also, look out for Josh Bostic out of Division II Findlay. He could challenge Anderson for top billing on the (West) wing for the Thunderbirds before all is said and done.

Maine Red Claws: Elect

Name

Position

Height

Weight

College

Magnum Rolle

C

6’11”

240

Lousiana Tech

Kenny Hayes

G

6’2”

175

Miami (OH)

Chamberlain Oguchi

G/F

6’6”

202

Illinois State

Lawrence Westbrook

G/F

6’1”

185

Minnesota

Tajuan Porter

G

5’7”

155

Oregon

James Lewis

G

6’4”

200

Fresno Pacific

JaJuan Smith

G

6’3”

195

Tennessee

Eugene Spates

F

6’7”

220

Northeastern

Armon Bassett

G

6’2”

180

Ohio

The Red Claws went big as anticipated with Magnum Rolle in round one, one of the top big-man prospects in the draft pool. They also drafted Lawrence Westbrook, who Scott Schroeder said might be this year’s Sundiata Gaines, in round three and nabbed Tajuan Porter, a sleeper pick of friend of the blog Mike Gansey, a round later. Add in JaJuan Smith and two second rounders, and the Red Claws are definitely one team that has to be pleased with their draft day campaign.

Texas Legends: Endorse

Name

Position

Height

Weight

College

Matt Rogers

F

6’11”

225

SW Baptist

Antonio Daniels

G

6’4”

205

Bowling Green

Justin Dentmon

G

6’1”

186

Washington

Kelvin Lewis

G

6’3”

202

Houston

Moussa Seck

C

7’4”

Senegal

Booker Woodfox

G

6’1”

185

Creighton

Curtis Terry

G

6’4”

200

UNLV

Reece Hampton

F

6’5”

195

Adams State

Rogers is an intriguing first pick with great size. It’ll be interesting to see how he adapts to the physicality of the D-League after playing at SW Baptist. Speaking of intrigue, no candidate had a more impressive resume than Antonio Daniels. The 35-year-old NBA veteran is poised to show he’s got something left in the tank. I think he was a great pick-up in round two, especially if he can use his NBA experience to positively influence his teammates. Bonus points for choosing Booker Woodfox (for rationale, read this and then this).

If any of these names wow you, then you are easily wowed. I don’t anticipate Springfield going the negative campaign rout and tossing grenades towards Maine, but I also don’t see this draft roster as a message of hope to restore the birthplace of basketball’s record to a better mark than last year’s 7-43. However, news just broke that the Armor acquired point guard Scottie Reynolds from the Tulsa 66ers in a trade that sends Springfield’s 2011 first-round pick to Tulsa. Now that’s the kind of move that can swing an election!

Iowa Energy: Elect

Name

Position

Height

Weight

College

Chris Lofton

G

6’2”

195

Tennessee

Luke Zeller

C

6’11”

245

Notre Dame

Kammron Taylor

G

6’2”

175

Wisconsin

Michael Haynes

G/F

6’7”

204

Fordham

Scott VanderMeer

C

7’1”

260

Illinois-Chicago

Kendrick Price

F

6’8”

230

Michigan

Bobby Maze

G

6’2”

200

Tennessee

David Nurse

G

6’3”

Western Illinois

Even before the draft began, Iowa had one of the most talented rosters. Add Lofton, Zeller, and Taylor to the mix, and the Energy’s 10-man roster may be all but settled. Though he’s not as pass-friendly as the incumbent, Lofton and his deft shooting touch could challenge returning starter Curtis Stinson for the starting point guard spot on an Energy team that looks poised to another good season.

Rio Grande Valley Vipers: Too Close to Call

Name

Position

Height

Weight

College

*Robert Vaden

G

6’5”

215

UAB

Marquis Gilstrap

F

6’7”

215

Iowa State

Mouhamed Faye

F

6’9”

215

SMU

Richard Roby

G

6’6”

210

Colorado

Clevin Hannah

G

5’11”

160

Wichita State

Isaiah Swann

G

6’2”

195

Florida State

Antoine Tisby

F

6’8”

235

South Carolina

David Potter

G/F

6’5”

200

Clemson

The asterisk indicates that Robert Vaden was traded to the Tulsa 66ers for point guard Mustafa Shakur. The acquisition of Shakur is a move I wholeheartedly endorse, so it’s only after taking that move out of the equation that I can rule the rest of the selections too close to call. And if anyone deserves the benefit of the doubt with their policies and procedures, it’s the defending champion Vipers, who run as smooth an operation as any D-League franchise.

Utah Flash: Concede

Name

Position

Height

Weight

College

Brandon Costner

F

6’9”

235

North Carolina State

Nkem Ojougboh

F/C

6’9”

225

Northeastern

D’andre Bell

G

6’5”

220

Georgia Tech

Darren Kent

F

6’10”

240

Kansas State

Ricky Shields

G

6’4”

195

Rutgers

Carlos Medlock

G

6’1”

172

Michigan State

Amadou Mbodji

F

6’10”

230

Jacksonville State

Kent Tuttle

F

6’6”

230

BYU

With Nkem Ojougboh and Amadou Mbodji, Utah definitely won the David-Stern-should-have-to-announce-these-guys vote. Beyond that, no one stands out. Don’t expect many returning Flash players to be voted out of their positions as starters.

Dakota Wizards: Too Close to Call

Name

Position

Height

Weight

College

Chris Johnson

C

6’11”

208

LSU

Brandon Johnson

G

6’1”

205

San Diego

Brendan Knox

C

6’10”

240

Auburn

Rico Pickett

G

6’4”

190

Manhattan

Robert Diggs

F

6’8”

200

Washington

Dominique Scales

F

6’9”

230

East Central

Michael Gerrity

G

6’1”

180

USC

Joe Darger

F

6’7”

225

UNLV

Chris Johnson may need to add some weight onto his 6’11”, 208-pound frame, but he’s very quick and athletic sand gives the Wizards some much needed size and shot-blocking if not bulk inside. Whether this draft is ultimately a success depends on what comes of picks 2-8 for them. Expect a healthy, competitive training camp in Dakota.

Fort Wayne Mad Ants: Endorse

Name

Position

Height

Weight

College

Obi Muonelo

G

6’5”

225

Oklahoma State

Cory Allmond

G

6’2”

181

Sam Houston State

Anthony Goods

G

6’3”

195

Stanford

Adam Zahn

F

6’8”

235

Oregon

Shawn Hawkins

F

6’6”

225

Long Beach State

Aaron Nixon

G

6’2”

215

Long Beach State

Deandre Thomas

F

6’8”

245

Robert Morris

In addition to adding Obi Muonelo, a hard-working shooting guard from Oklahoma State, the Mad Ants acquired Darnell Lazare from the Maine Red Claws in exchange for the their second round pick. Bonus for drafting my pick for coolest name in the draft, Anthony Goods, who comes tailor made with his own campaign slogan: He delivers the Goods. Goods is a former Bakersfield Jam (Jammer? Jammie? Jamaican?) who will compete for a roster spot in a crowded Mad Ants backcourt.

Sioux Falls Skyforce: Too Close to Call

Name

Position

Height

Weight

College

Cheikh Samb

C

7’1”

245

Senegal

Sean Marshall

F

6’6”

210

Boston College

Brad Byerson

F

6’8”

245

Virginia Union

Keaton Grant

G

6’4”

200

Purdue

Wink Adams

G

6’1”

200

UNLV

Larry Darnell Cox

C

6’11”

240

Mississippi Valley State

Brandon Hazzard

G

6’2”

195

Troy

J.R. Inman

F

6’9”

225

Rutgers

The problem isn’t that they selected Cheikh Samb with the 11th pick (I had him going eighth). The problem is that with only two returning players and just one affiliate player headed to training camp, there’s a question about where this team’s firepower is going to come from. Maybe Sean Marshall is the answer or Brad Byerson is the answer down the road, but I’m not totally sold on their platform at this juncture.

Bakersfield Jam: Endorse

Name

Position

Height

Weight

College

Marqus Blakeley

F

6’5”

225

Vermont

Brandon Wallace

F

6’9”

205

South Carolina

Kenny Taylor

G

6’3”

195

Texas

Cyrus Tate

F

6’8”

265

Iowa

Lorenzo Wade

G/F

6’6”

220

San Diego State

John Bryant

F

6’7”

245

Saint Joseph’s

Ollie Bailey

F

6’7”

Oklahoma City Univ.

Maurice Acker

G

5’8”

165

Marquette

Marqus Blakeley was one of the most explosive players in the draft. The Jam might have earned election status had their John Bryant been THE John Bryant aka Big Bad John, the 300-pounder who started 40 games for Erie last season. However, the 6’7″ St. Joseph’s product will try to carve out a name for himself in the league. Though he never saw any game action, Brandon Wallace was on the roster of the 2007-08 Boston Celtics until December, later splitting time between three D-League teams during the season.

Tulsa 66ers: Concede

Name

Position

Height

Weight

College

*Scottie Reynolds

G

6’2”

190

Villanova

Perry Stevenson

F

6’9”

220

Kentucky

Josh Lomers

C

7’1”

265

Baylor

Devin Sweetney

G

6’5”

205

St. Francis (PA)

Mamadi Diane

G/F

6’6”

205

Virginia

Brandon Brooks

G

6’2”

187

Alabama State

Marlon Jones

F

6’9”

268

Oklahoma City Univ.

Michael Sturns

G/F

6’5”

205

Holy Family

Tulsa, D-League affiliate of the Oklahoma City Thunder, is typically one of the smartest franchises in the league, so I’m more than a bit perplexed by their decision to trade away two of their top assets, who both happen to be point guards. First they shipped Mustafa Shakur, a 2010 2nd-team All-D-League player, to the Rio Grande Valley Vipers for Robert Vaden. That move made some sense in light of their pick of Scottie Reynolds, who seemed to be the heir apparent to Shakur’s vacated starting point guard spot. But then news broke today that Reynolds, too, had been traded, sent to Springfield for a 2011 number one pick. The good news is that the 66ers are still poised to boast one of the most talented rosters come opening day, thanks to their close partnership with the Thunder. Three players cut from OKC are on their training camp roster, including Tweety Carter, who figures to be the beneficiary of the trades sending his would-be point guard competition out of Tulsa.

Austin Toros: Elect

Name

Position

Height

Weight

College

Dominique Archie

F

6’7”

217

South Carolina

Lance Thomas

F

6’8”

225

Duke

Josh Young

G

6’1”

172

Drake

Garrett Williamson

F

6’7”

217

St. Joseph’s

Marcus Hubbard

F

6’9”

230

Angelo State

Vernon Hamilton

G

6’1”

190

Clemson

Shagari Alleyne

C

7’3”

270

Kentucky

Scooter McFadgon

G

6’5”

205

Tennessee

The Toros are kind of like the candidate that runs unopposed because there’s just no point trying to out-campaign them. The Toros are following in their NBA affiliate’s footsteps with the selection of Archie, a talented forward who is coming off a knee injury. The Spurs selection of DeJuan Blair amid concerns about his knees has paid dividens so far, and Austin is optimistic for a positive return on their investment as well. They also grabbed the lone Duke Blue Devil in the draft pool as well as Garrett Williamson, who blossomed as a senior at St. Joseph’s, doubling his scoring average from his junior to senior year.

Erie BayHawks: Too Close to Call

Name

Position

Height

Weight

College

Ivan Johnson

F

6’8”

230

Cal St. San Bernandino

Kyle Spain

G

6’5”

210

San Diego State

Tasheed Carr

F

6’4”

205

St. Joseph’s

Derek Raivio

G

6’2”

178

Gonzaga

David Gomez

F

6’7”

235

Tulane

Jared Carter

C

7’1”

250

Kentucky

Dawan Robinson

G

6’3”

190

Rhode Island

Jimmy Conyers

G/F

6’5”

215

Akron

Raivio, the former Gonzaga star, is the biggest name on the list. With Cedric Jackson and Maureece Rice already in camp, Raivio may not seem to fit, but he’s a different type of player than them and a better shooter. Johnson has produced in the D-League before and should provide some needed frontcourt scoring. No presidential candidates on this list of picks, but there may be some congressmen and senators.

Idaho Stampede: Endorse

Name

Position

Height

Weight

College

Salim Stoudamire

G

6’1”

175

Arizona

Walter Sharpe

F

6’9”

250

UAB

Dominique Johnson

G

6’3”

195

Asusza Pacific

Chris Roberts

G

6’4”

205

Bradley

Kentrell Gransberry

C

6’9”

270

South Florida

Alan Daniels

F

6’6”

220

Lamar

Willie Jenkins

F

6’6”

220

Tennessee Tech

J.T. Tiller

G

6’3”

205

Missouri

First, read Scott Schroeder’s piece on the curious case of Salim Stoudamire. Shady underhanded dealings. Mysterious emails. Threats. Sounds like politics to me. Putting how they got him aside, Stoudamire is a great pick, especially at 16, to build around.

Final tally:Elect – 3Endorse – 6Too Close to Call – 5Concede – 2

For real election results, check your local news.

As for the next step in the D-League preseason, training camps will get underway later this week. Complete rosters for each of the D-League’s 16 teams will feature the players drafted tonight along with returning, affiliated and local tryout players. Rosters will be reduced from 17 players to opening-day 10-man rosters by Nov. 18 in anticipation of the Nov. 18 tip off of the NBA Development League’s 10th season. Each team may play one or multiple preseason game(s) from Nov. 9-17.

Very nicely done. I was very happy to read your commentary and get some more insight on some of the players I don’t know very well. I was wondering if you will be doing something similar in the future for each player once each team’s roster is completed for opening day. Also, with the new NBA rule of allocating 3 players to the D-League, do you see this as the beginning of the NBDL truly becoming the minor leagues of the NBA? And if so how long do you think it will take to come to fruition?

Mark, thanks for reading and commenting. I probably won’t have time to break down the future for each individual player, but I definitely plan to take a closer look at the rosters around the D-League as the season gets underway in the coming weeks. So check back often to read more.

In talking with a BayHawks representative, Green did not express interest in playing for Erie after getting cut from the Cavs. That’s not to say he won’t change his mind down the line, but for now it sounds like he’s not interested in exploring the D-League option.

I don’t think that Alleyne will ever relive the success of his high school days. As for the Crispins, it sounds like Joe is playing in Italy, but I don’t think Jon is active. http://crispinbasketball.com/

As a blog reader, I am always on the search for content that are both awesome and pleasing to digest and I must say your blog passed my criteria. Thank you so much for the wonderful content you have created! Will be coming back soon!